


The Hidden Black

by erikablair



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anglo-Saxon Paganism, Black Family Drama (Harry Potter), Black Family Feels (Harry Potter), Celtic Mythology & Folklore, F/M, Harry Potter is Not a Potter, Harry Potter is a Member of the House of Black, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Morally Grey Harry Potter, Obsessive Tom Riddle, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Powerful Harry, Roman Paganism, Smart Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erikablair/pseuds/erikablair
Summary: (Set during Marauder Period) Distancing himself from his family as they became more entangled in the Dark Lord Voldemort, Alphard does not inform his family of his bonding to a French heiress or the birth of his son, Hadrien. Wanting to protect his son from being groomed to be another of the Dark Lord's loyal servants, Alphard makes Hadrien takes on his mother's name to ensure he is just another face in the crowd at Hogwarts. However, everyone is curious about Hadrien Ethier, powerful and intelligent, it seems this mysterious student is capturing attention from both sides of the war. Who are his parents? Where does he come from?  And why does he look so familiar?
Relationships: Alphard Black/Original Female Character(s), Cygnus Black/Druella Rosier Black, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle/Voldemort, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Orion Black/Walburga Black, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 81
Kudos: 443





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New story, this is my first total AU of Harry not having James or Lily as his parents and being set during the Marauders Era. Please let me know what you think in the comments

Alphard smiled at the baby in his arms lovingly, already enamoured with his newborn son. Soft, pink, and new, Hadrien was already sporting a shock of curly black hair and he smiled, glad that his son had inherited the Black hair. Feeling a tugging on his robes Alphard turned towards Marianne, his courtesan, to see her smiling tiredly at him. She looked exhausted from the long labour, but Alphard had never thought that she looked more beautiful.

“Come say hello to mummy,” Alphard whispered to Hadrien as he dropped down carefully onto the bed next to Marianne.

Keeping him tucked in his arms, Alphard pointed the baby towards her so they could see each other. She gasped looking at him, and Alphard knew just as with him that she was already besotted with their son.

“Oh Alphard, he’s beautiful,” she exclaimed, slowly reaching her arms toward the baby.

Alphard pressed a soft kiss to the babe’s forehead before relinquishing him to his mother, watching as her eyes were riveted to their son’s face, drinking him in. Placing his arm around her, Alphard gently tucked Marianne into his side, pressing a kiss to her temple before letting her head rest on his shoulder.

It had been a difficult birth and for a time Alphard had worried for the health of his son and courtesan, wondering if they would make it through, but thankfully after 36 hours she had delivered a healthy baby boy and despite initial scares had no severe damage from carrying their child. Marianne was of delicate health and when she had told him she was pregnant he was both overjoyed and extremely worried, he had always wanted a family but after falling in love with Marianne had accepted that that might be something he would never get to experience.

When she was young she had a near-death experience and only because she had magic had she survived, however, the use of such an intense bout of accidental magic had permanently ruptured her core; her body turned on her, her magic internally cannibalising her in order to keep itself stable. Alphard had been worried that her magic would kill their unborn child but against all odds, he had pulled through and Alphard could not be happier.

“He’s healthy?” Marianne asked hesitantly.

“He’s perfect,” assured Alphard, “the healer even remarked he had one of the strongest cores he’d seen in a baby.”

Marianne smiled brightly, gazing at the child in her arms in wonder, “I’m glad I didn’t kill our child. I would have never forgiven myself if I had.”

Alphard frowned but said nothing, unsure how to respond, only wrapping his arm around her and their child tighter.

“Did you tell your family?” Marianne inquired.

Alphard shook his head, “no, I want to protect our son and for that my family can’t know about him. They’re too wrapped up in the Dark Lord to see the path he treads will only lead to destruction, and I won’t let my child be lured into serving _Him_.”

Marianne hummed but said nothing, knowing this was an argument she would never win. Despite being bonded to her, Alphard had never revealed her existence to his family and had become estranged from them over the years. She knew he missed them terribly and although he was sympathetic to the Dark cause in Britain, he refused to become a follower to the Dark Lord. He often lamented on how distant he was to his brother, sister, and cousins but he refused to get mixed up in British politics. No matter what side you were on, they were all going to lose, he would say.

Marianne was thankful that France had no such political upheavals; dark, light, or grey no magic was stigmatised and she knew it was a constant battle on the French ministry’s part to not let the politics of their neighbouring Ministries influence their views.

“I want him to take your name,” Alphard said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“What?” she squeaked.

“He’s already the Ethier heir, taking my name is an unnecessary risk. He will, of course, know of his heritage, but I don’t want him using the Black name until he’s ready, carrying my family name will only bring attention to him from unsavoury characters,” he explained. “Besides, you know your father will be relieved on having a male heir.”

Marianne’s father had been thrilled at the prospect of having a grandchild and even more so when the scan had said it was going to be a boy. Ever since the incident in her youth, she knew he had worried about the future of their line and when Alphard had come into the picture he was welcomed with open arms by her family, one of the major reasons being he made her happier than she had been in a long time. Knowing that despite the uncertainties in Britain Alphard did want Hadrien attending Hogwarts, she agreed that their son would take her name.

Although well-known in mainland Europe, the Ethier house never had much to do with their northern neighbours. Considering how insular the Dark Lord’s plans were, she doubted her family’s name had even registered on his radar which hopefully meant when they returned to Britain Hadrien would just be another face in the crowd.

Rocking the baby gently in her arms, she was irritated when she felt her magic spark resulting in a wave of tiredness going through her. Seeing Marianne’s deteriorating state, Alphard gently took Hadrien back into his arms while helping her slide back into bed. She huffed in annoyance at her own weakness but allowed Alphard to help her settle in bed.

“Just sleep my darling, I’ll look after Hadrien. Thankfully he seems quite content to be held,” Alphard said, smiling at the bundle in his arms.

Watching Alphard rocking their child gently in his arms brought tears to her eyes, she never thought she would have this, any of this. Despite being the only daughter to a powerful and well-known line her declining health had scared off any would-be suitor. No one wanted to marry a potentially barren witch, especially one whose life expectancy was dramatically reduced.

Meeting Alphard had been pure happenstance, and he had immediately stolen her heart and given her his. She was glad that she could give him a child, she knew that he had wanted a family and had given up hope of ever having one. Despite her insistence that she was damaged he had never strayed or even looked in the direction of another witch. Mostly she was glad that she could give him a part of herself before she was gone, she knew she didn’t have long, she could feel it. Casting another look at her bonded and son, Marianne closed her eyes and gratefully sank into darkness. She was so tired.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Sorry for the gap, life got in the way and I had to rewrite this chapter several times before I was happy with it. Please let e know what you think in the comments! And I'm on Tumblr if you want to catch me - erikablair

Marianne Ethier died. The air in the Ethier-Black household was stifling, eyes red and voices hoarse. Hadrien, 5 years old, never shed a tear. Despite the solemnity of the situation, there was also the sharp sting of relief. She had been killing Hadrien.

Her self-cannibalising magic eroded her mind, leaving her with only a thought. To seek and consume, to satisfy its insatiable hunger. Hadrien blistered with power, with _magic_. An incandescent flame the beast could not resist. Stalking his tendrils of magic, she hunted him. Coveting his company, his closeness; she always sought to touch, to hold, to breathe him in. Crushing him to her chest, lips lingering on his skin – a want to take until there was nothing left.

She was sick. It was like a dark cloud had descended, with the only light being his son – Hadrien. But it had dulled, the ray once blinding became a whisp. Shielding him within his shadowed robes, Alphard protected him against the predatory gazes of the European heads. The funeral was well attended, prominent European families paying their respects to Lord Marius Ethier, Marianne’s father. Their eyes skirted over him as if he weren’t there, under the impression he descended from an unimportant lower house rather than the upper echelons of British society. Alphard did not seek to correct them.

A hush fell over the crowd as Marius took his place on the ancient stone dais, runes carved intricately into the uneven stone slab. Raising his hands, a slow chant rose from the crowd – guttural, spitting, and archaic. Magick, raw and primal, undulated amidst the guests; caressing, squeezing, dancing.

Marianne’s body, adorned with hyssop, chrysanthemum, and purple hyacinth, her naked skin painted with blood runes, lay adjacent to the platform on a patch of grass surrounded by various flora. Sibilant whispers turned to cacophonous shrieks, vines sprouting from the ground to wrap around Marianne’s corpse. Thunder cracked and the ground beneath her fissured; she descended into the Earth, reclaimed by Tellus and Lady Magic. Blooms of purple lisianthus burst from the ground, marking her grave. Distinctive among the other plots, baby’s breath, heliotrope, and protea among them. All once a childe of magic, now a permanent imprint.

Hadrien trembled all the while, not out of grief but fear. Embracing his son, feeling his tremors, Alphard nearly collapsed under the guilt. Marius descended the dais, striding towards his son-in-law and grandson, his face etched in sorrow. Years of suffering, of heartache, had reached an end. She was finally free. But her family held the consequences of her madness, the destruction of her son. Ever since she was a girl and her core cracked, Marius had been expecting this day. She lived longer than expected, even gifting him with an heir. The reality, however, was crushing.

It didn’t seem so long ago when he had been here last, the exact chant and gestures performed for his wife and son’s passing. The only reprieve being it was before Marianne’s accident. She would have been devastated seeing her daughter’s agony. Childbirth, the birth of their second-born – a son. Initially he ecstatic, but there were complications; she had lost too much blood and didn’t survive. Neither did the baby.

Watching Tellus swallow the tiny body had been heart-wrenching. Seeing his wife’s absorption almost crippled him. He wished he could have kept her, preserved her somehow but there were inescapable laws that could not be broken. Not without grave consequences. What was taken, must be given back. An unending cycle of life and death. An ancient primordial force ruled their world, and those who attempted to conquer, to tame it, were punished.

Seeing Hadrien’s small figure, he could not help but compare his countenance to Marianne’s. Marianne had been bawling, attempting to escape her father’s grip to run to her mother. An act he forbade, lest she be taken under too. But Hadrien’s eyes were tearless, wanting to escape his mother than go to her. Alphard prevented him from running. Marius sighed, considering the events that had led to this, he could not blame the child. Marianne had become wicked.

Besides a small whimper, Hadrien remained stoic through the procession – a reaction that bore both pride and grief within Marius. No amount of preparation could prevent the sheer terror such an event elicited, especially his first. It was when they understood viscerally how very small they were.

Folding Hadrien out of his robe, Alphard knelt before him. Tracing his cheeks, his arms, anywhere to educe a reaction other than fear. Love and care were imbued with every touch, a promise to protect. Feelings of safety bloomed and Hadrien smiled, small and reserved. Alphard knew the gift his son was bestowing him, a second chance.

“She was beautiful,” Hadrien whispered reverently.

“Your mother?” Marius asked, “Yes, she was.”

Hadrien shook his head, “no, the woman standing over her.”

They paused.

“What did she look like?” Alphard questioned; his voice strained.

Hadrien furrowed his eyebrows, “I’m not sure. She looked young but old. Loving but terrifying. Beautiful yet ugly.” Hadrien shook his head in frustration.

Marius and Alphard shared a glance, flecks of dread reflected at the other. Hastily bundling Hadrien into his side, he apparated back to Ethier manor. Marius following after a few minutes, having had to thank and see off the guests. He rubbed soothing circles on Hadrien’s back, waiting for the waves of nausea to subside. His son’s body struggled to acclimate to all forms of magical transportation – bar flying.

Hadrien’s body swayed with exhaustion, blinking tiredly at his father, lip jutted out in a plea. Sighing in exaggerated resignation, Alphard carried Hadrien to his bedroom his small body curling into him seeking shelter. Tucking him into bed, Alphard reassured him he was alone. There was no one skulking in the wardrobe or hiding beneath the bed. The monster was gone.

Alphard consigned himself to staying until Hadrien fell asleep, his hand raking through his son’s messy curls in a steady, rhythmic pattern that his breath gradually matched. Asleep now, Alphard moved to the door realising how much he had failed him. Hadrien was fearful within his own home, his own room. Stealing into his space, snatching hands and biting toes, Marianne had been the monster under Hadrien’s bed. His dreams not even a reprieve from her ravenous gaze.

Entering Marius’ study, Alphard held out an expectant hand accepting the customary tumbler of scotch. An action that had long become habitual. Settling into his customary chair, Hadrien let the emotions bleed into his features.

“How is he?”

Shaking his head wordlessly, Alphard took a large gulp of the amber liquid before placing it beside him. “I don’t know what to do,” he revealed, his voice breaking. “He’s scared that she’ll come back, that she was never gone. That she was lurking somewhere in his room, disguised in the shadows, waiting to devour him. What kind of father am I? I should have shielded him from her, but I couldn’t look at who she was now without remembering the woman I married. I didn’t want to acknowledge her condition.”

“I-I should have done more as well. He is my blood, my heir. But seeing my daughter's declining state – I only wanted to see my darling girl,” Marius revealed.

They shared a few moments of silence, the weight of their admittances swinging precariously above their heads, like the blade of a guillotine. Only waiting for the executioner.

“Now that he is the sole living heir to the Ethier line,” Marius began, switching topics, “he will need to be trained appropriately. Rebuilding our alliances with the other European families is our highest priority behind Hadrien’s education. News of the new heir will surely bring interest and opportunities for us. I know you insist on Hogwarts for his magical education but while he is in France he will be trained and act as a French heir would.”

Nodding graciously, Alphard accepted Marius’ words with little dispute. “I would expect no less. As he is my heir, I will also begin instructing him on the appropriate behaviours of a Black. Even if it not publicised, the knowledge from both our sides will prove invaluable. Britain will be dangerous for him. We need to prepare him before going North.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meanings:  
> Hyssop – sacrifice  
> Chrysanthemum – death  
> Purple hyacinth – forgiveness  
> Purple lisianthus – beauty, rising above the hardship, appreciation, everlasting love  
> Baby’s breath – purity, sincerity, compassion, trust, innocence  
> Heliotrope – eternal love  
> Protea – Daring, Transformation, Courage


End file.
